It is no real secret in Second Life, or in Real Life for that matter, that men have fewer choices regarding apparel than women. Men in SL claim that they don’t have as many fashion choices as women do. This has changed with the dynamic design merger of LUXE Paris for women with LUXE Dot-BE by Boniefacio for men.

Boniefacio is an interesting, talented man and very busy man in both lives. He found SL while looking for a place to introduce people to his music online from home. “I found SL through TV and tried it out, left and then was talked into coming back by my sl/rl girlfriend. I didn’t want to come back, but she showed me the Mr. Virtual World Competition (MVW) and said … ‘Isn’t that something for you.’ She was right, so I made an avatar and started all over… from DJ to what I am today.”

Boniefacio has always been creative and knows how to pay it back to the SL community. When Boniefacio was not a DJ in SL he built homes and became a mentor for newbies. “Helping newbies was a fun thing to do since I am a teacher in RL. Helping people was the first thing I wanted to do. Not only music can help people, but, with some guidance, everyone can have a great day.”

EDWARD -Tunic & Pants

Boniefacio’s found that he had to learn how to make clothes in order to compete in MVW 2012. When he auditioned he was only 28 days old and there were 54 candidates and only twenty made the final cut, and Boniefacio was one of those. “I didn’t have any experience in modeling and I had to compete against seasoned models, the only support I got was from my rl/sl girlfriend. I approached designers to help me with my national and formal outfits and always got the same answer… ‘You? Really? I don’t help anyone that doesn’t have experience. You are new. Who is to say you will compete? How did you ever made it into the competition? No, are you out of your mind? Go and find another noob to help you out!’ I also had to come up with outfits for challenges so at the end of the day, I had to make something myself, I started buying templates, making prim attachments and so on. There was no support at all straight into the finals and that is how .BE Fashion started.”

ACE Outfit

One of the mitigating factors of joining forces with LUXE Paris was time and with this merger, the extra time allows Boniefacio to focus only on clothes for men. “The choice of LUXE Paris was an easy decision. Mika and Parisian are very good friends, they support the AIM agency and all the events around the grid, so I approached them with a proposal of joining forces.”

ALICIO Outfit

LUXE Dot-BE designs for men run the gamut from simple and stylish to extravagantly elegant. “I try to make designs that everyone can wear whether they want to go to a club, to the beach or to a wedding. I noticed that if your outfits are too extravagant people tend not to buy them. People need wearable clothing. The LUXE Dot-BE Man is tasteful, fine and luxurious, as well as refined. He is a man devoted to elegant pursuits.”

Many RL fashions and trends inspire Boniefacio’s designs but there are challenges. “One stumbling block is that there is a lack of good male templates and male exclusives in SL, it’s is sad. Another challenge is time, I have a busy RL and, I also run an agency and magazine. I organize a men’s event as well as others and we are thinking of hosting a kids/toddler monthly designers event. The big news is that next year there will be a competition for the LUXE Dot-BE Men of the Year!”

DELMAR – Shorts & Necklace

As many people have agreed, one thing about SL is that the rewards outweigh the challenges. “I enjoy working with two lovely people that appreciate what I am doing with the amount of time I have – its is just wonderful. And of course the international contact is satisfying. I have learned that I am like an octopus and that as long as I can handle it all with the right people by my side all will work out.”

There are so many people that help Boniefacio achieve his goals and he is grateful. “I would like to thank AIM COO Essy Luv, AIM BTS CEO Jewell, LUXE Paris partners Mika and Parisian and everyone that is helping me behind the scene’s to make my dreams come true. Without the right team you are a lonely wolf and now I am a confident leader of the pack! Thank you all of my friends and remember… Life is to short to wear boring clothes, show your style!”

Sunday was the Second Challenge Event where the judges made their final assessments of the twelve finalists.

First Runner-Up, Viana Oaks (Curiosse)

Second Runner-Up, Becky Kenaan

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